Monday, February 27, 2006

SABROSA PURR- DANGERBIRD RECORDS

I recently got an incredible care package sent my way from DANGERBIRD RECORDS. Now, with all the big, lame, tasteless labels alive out there (thanks mostly to their publishing divisions), it's amazing when you come across a label where their roster only contains quality. Dangerbird are like a throwback to those old days, record guys, putting out a sound, record-by-record, that defines who they are and where they are from. I'll talk more about them in a second, but first, the real gem of the care package: SABROSA PURR.

Now, I've had the mp3's for awhile, tipped them awhile back as a band getting some attention, but it wasn't until I received their CD, MUSIC FROM THE VIOLET ROOM, that I truly understood what an incredible record this is. The record came out in December of last year, and I'm upset that I didn't get it then and feature them on FUTURE SOUNDS. This record has a pulse! Finally, someone screaming for a reason, instead of 'yet another' emo band that screams again screams again. If I hear one more 'AS I LIE DYING IN FLAMES AND ASHES' type of band, I'm going to give up. PLEASE, we've had enough FALL OUT BOYS, the Vans Tour is full of one hundred sound a likes now, can someone under 20 figure it out yet and move on? Back to my point - if there is one - when I put in this CD and got kicked in the face by something that has real energy for a change. I haven't seen them live yet, but they are an LA band so I have no excuse not to see their next show. They have this JANES ADDICTION vibe to their music, but not in a 'we're freaky/possibly Burning Man/kinda way', or that they have any connection to Perry & Co., but more in the overall feel that something here has some ooze to it, something dark, something angry, but something that can also drop some cloudy bliss on you. Their track 'All The Leaves..." is simply, gorgeous. The flip side is the assault that occurs on '..By The Water' and their single, 'The Lovely People'. It's all written, produced and arranged by Will Love, who is the vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and programmer on this 8 song delight that I've been playing non-stop since it's arrival. Outside of the new demos I've received from LEMON SUN, I haven't got this cranked on someone in awhile. I strongly suggest you don't just cherry pick off of Itunes and get one song to see if you like it or not, this should be digested as a piece of art, in it's entirity. MANAGEMENT: Matt Soldky of Cast Management. Legal: Richard Grabel of Davis Shapiro. Publicity: Juliana Plotkin of Ink Tank PR.

So that brings me back to Los Angeles' DANGERBIRD RECORDS, and their tasty roster. Lead by the A&R team of Jeff Castelza & Peter Walker, these guys throw nothing but strikes in my book. They have distribution through ADA and after SABROSA PURR, their line up consists of THE SILVERSUN PICKUPS (former Future Sounds favorites), LA ROCCA (another ghost from Future Sounds past), and a solo record that just came out by PETER WALKER his damn self, called 'Young Gravity'. I've been meaning to spend more time on Walker's disc, but the Purr pulls me back. I can say that the first Peter Walker single, 'What Do I Know' is excellent, so I have another good feeling about this disc as well, especially given their early track record. I see Walker has Frank Riley of High Road in his team, so expect to see him all over this year. He's managed by Castelaz as well. LA ROCCA, if you remember back to FUTURE SOUNDS 17, are from Dublin, Ireland, and I once described their sound as poppy TODD RUNDGREN meets EVERCLEAR. Thier Danagerbird debut is an EP called 'Sing Song Sung' that was produced and mixed by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air, Belle & Sebastian). This new material sounds impressively enough like the first three BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E-STREET BAND records. Something magical is jumping out of these tracks, and this is just a 4 song. I'm told the full length is going to turn heads everywhere. You should already know about THE SILVERSUN PICKUPS and their excellent release, Pikuls EP. 'Kissing Families' was one of the coolest songs of all of 2005. I can't forget JOY ZIPPER, even though I haven't spent any time with the CD, I've enjoyed all the mp3's I've ever heard from this trippy band - giving DB Records in my mind, a perfect record.